It took Ino a few minutes to calm herself, wiping away the tears that had coated her cheeks with a handkerchief that her father handed to her. Under different circumstances, she would have berated herself for the lack of professionalism. Crying in front of the village leader, no matter your history together, was never ideal. However, she did not care at that moment. All Ino cared about was where Itachi was.

With a shaky breath out, she turned to face Lord Hokage, trying not to break down again. "Where is he?"

"Ino, there's more. Itachi is suffering from a drug resistant tuberculosis. It really is a miracle he is still alive without receiving any treatment for years. He requested you as his medic and you know what that entails." Tsunade explained, a hand on her shoulder. Ino turned her eyes at her, eyes full of worry as she nodded her understanding.

She was about to speak when Kakashi cut in. "And as protocol, we need an analysis of his memory-"

"That's outrageous!" she snapped again, pulling back from Tsunade who tried to comfort her. "He is a hero of this village. There's no need for him to go through protocol and make him relive his pain!"

Using the Psycho Mind Transmission could cause a large strain on the victim's mind depending on the memory the user is trying to retrieve. Ino knew the information they wanted, and she would have to live the night of the massacre and the source of Itachi's suffering. She would have to relive it with him. He deserved more than that.

The look Kakashi gave her was grim but she held her glare.

"I'm sorry Ino but the elders request of it." Ino did not want to back down but she saw her father shoot her a look.

Inoichi stepped in. "Lord Hokage negotiated with the elders and came to the agreement that you could take your time, within a month. Until he gives you consent to these memories, over the span of days. This is the only bargain we could strike. You understand your duty, Ino."

It was rare for Ino to hear her father speak to her in that tone that reflected firmness. When she was younger, she called it his "work voice". It was a tone that commanded respect and left no room for argument. And Inoichi was a very reasonable man.

Ino knew her duty.

The young kunoichi took a deep breath to collect herself before she gave a single nod, her teal eyes reflecting the familiar calm she exuded as an interrogator of the Leaf.

"I understand. Now, where is he?"

.

It was truly surreal. Itachi thought as he gazed out of the window of his room in the Leaf's hospital. He watched as shinobi and civilians scurried about with their daily lives, in a village that was familiar to him but was so different at the same time.

Being back in the village felt like a dream to him. It has been nine years since the night of the massacre. Despite his full commitment to his sacrifice for Konoha and Sasuke, there was always a deep longing for Itachi to come back. Afterall, Konoha was home and the same village was where the only two people left in the world where Itachi cared for lived.

Sasuke had found him living in the outskirts of Suna 6 months back where Itachi had taken refuge after Zetsu and Tobi had been defeated. It had been odd waking up in a room entirely healed of life-threatening injuries after he was certain of his death, and even more odd was learning that he had acquired the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan and no longer suffered from deteriorating sight. He later learned from Zetsu that Tobi had arrange a transplant for Sasuke to have his eyes while Itachi now carried Sasuke's.

When Sasuke found him, he had been unsure of what to say to the younger Uchiha who now knew of the truth. However, there was no need for any more words. His brother had embraced him wordlessly, an expression of Sasuke's forgiveness for his brother. To Itachi, there was nothing to forgive. He had planned all that had happened to his supposed death, all for Sasuke's survival and so he could keep a certain little blonde heiress safe from the demise of their beloved village.

Itachi had later expressed his wholehearted apology to his brother deciding it would not do to be forgiven without a proper apology on his part. So, he apologized. He apologized on his lack of trust on his brother, on his lack of faith that maybe with little Sasuke could have changed the faith of the Uchiha clan. Alas, it was all in the past.

After their reunion, Sasuke had brought up returning to the village together. At first, he refused. Itachi had never thought of returning. He wasn't sure he deserved it. Yet Sasuke, after spending a few months together, made a very convincing argument. The Uchiha's eyes clouded at the memory of the conversation.

Sasuke leaned at the wall at the beginning of the hallway of his apartment, arms crossed as he stared at his brother who was now sitting at the couch, breathing deeply after a coughing fit. His illness came rarely, but when it did, it came bad – long coughing fits that usually involved blood. The symptoms started years ago when he had first joined ANBU. He had went to medics during his missions in ANBU and had taken medication that soon had no effect. He could not get constant medic attention due to the nature of his job and his status as a missing nin. As a result, he had gotten used to the habit of ignoring the symptoms.

His younger brother was having none of it. "Why are you putting yourself through this, Itachi? There is nothing for you here. Go back to the Leaf and get your illness cured. We have the best medics since Tsunade became the fifth hokage. She even trained both Sakura and Ino as her successors."

Sasuke had seen how Itachi flinched at the sound of the Yamanaka's name, causing the corner of his lips to lift as he shook his head. It seemed as though this elder brother cared just as much for the blonde kunoichi. The younger Uchiha continued on.

"You know Ino misses you. If you only know how devastated she was when you died. She won't even talk to me these days, detests me for killing you. She has never been quite the same after your death. No longer as quirky and expressive. She's been too serious lately."

Itachi was pensive at this, his mind taking him back to the memory the over-enthusiastic young blonde who he loved as much he did his younger brother. She always had the brightest of smiles and the purest look of admiration and love in her eyes. He couldn't imagine her any other way. The possibility of that ever changing because of him, the thought tugged at his heart.

His voice was deep and full of uncertainty. "Sasuke, you know that after all I did, I can't go back."

Sasuke uncrossed his arms as steps closer to his brother, placing a hand on his shoulder, staring straight into eyes very much like his. "Everyone in the village knows, Itachi. You are a hero to most of them, at least to all those that matters. Stop putting yourself through this, don't let yourself die too early, all alone, out here. Don't let Ino go through any more suffering thinking you're gone when you're not."

Itachi stared back to the determined look in his brother's dark eyes, considering his words. It took a few seconds for Itachi to nod but Sasuke was patient. He had waited 5 months convincing his brother after all.

.

Itachi snapped out of his reverie at the sound of footsteps outside his door and there seemed to be an argument between his younger brother and a woman. He could barely make out the words as they were hushed despite the impatience and frustration reflected in their tones.

"We'll talk later. Let me go." There was steel in the woman's voice. That was all he heard before the door to his room.

He was sitting on the hospital bed facing the door so he could see the woman as she entered the room. One look in her eyes and he knew who it was. That particular color of topaz that was hard to come by but it was look of awe in her light teary hues that was most familiar to him. It was the same pair of eyes that had stared into his soul the night they had first met.

Itachi could hardly believe his eyes. Yamanaka Ino was no longer the girl he had left. She was a woman now. Taller, with long blonde hair that had grown out to the back of her knees, dressed in a purple top that rose to her neck, ending at her ribcage, baring her midriff. She wore a long skirt that hanged low on her hips, flaunting her fit and shapely form. Itachi felt heat rise up to the back of his neck as he forced himself not to look anymore that he had, instead, keeping his eyes on her face that had matured beautifully. She was like a goddess in his eyes, angelic in her beauty.

He berated himself for such thoughts and reminded himself who this was. This was the same young child he saw as a younger sister. Itachi managed to keep his thoughts from showing from his expression, instead smiling softly at the woman.

Her eyes teared as he heard her in his mind, internally shivering at the soft caress of her clean, pure chakra and melodic voice.

'You're really alive, Itachi.'

Her steps were slow, hesitant.

'Yes. I'm sorry for the pain I've caused Ino.'

Her brows furrowed as she stood right in front of him. "None of which was your fault, Itachi."

Itachi smiled as he noticed the lack of honorific, the exclusion of 'senpai'.

Ino saw the memory he projected to her. All the rare moments they met throughout their childhood between his missions, she would greet him with a cheery hug. Ino saw this replay in her mind, her cheeks warming at the memory.

'How about that hug?'

Ino bit her lip, eyes watery as she nodded, stepping closer to the older Uchiha as she wrapped her arms around him tight with her cheeks warming further as he wrapped his around her waist.

"I've missed you so much, Itachi."

She felt his hand on the top of her head, closing her eyes at the feel of his warmth and at the familiar scent of blended fresh grapefruit and sandalwood.

"So have I, little angel." He murmured against her ear, causing her to giggle softly at the small nickname he had teasingly called her that one time she dressed as an angel at her birthday.

.

At the sound of someone clearing their voice, the two broke apart. Ino turned away in alert, quickly wiping off the tears that escaped her eyes, regarding at the young apologetic nurse who had entered the room. She held Ino's medic robe. Ino quickly slipped it on before receiving the clipboard that was handed to her that held Itachi's medical records. He had been diagnosed by Tsunade before she had came, before he had requested for her.

Itachi watched as she frowned as she stared down at the clipboard that held his record before she turned to him with a concern expression.

"Sorry Itachi, I'll have to stay professional for a while. I'll begin the check up so we'll have to continue our reunion later." She smiled at him softly. " I heard you requested me and I'm glad you did. I can help you, I had a cousin who had the same condition as you do. She was a medic to so she lead me through healing her condition."

She placed the clipboard down on the table before turning to him "I'll need you to take off your shirt, Itachi." Her voice was firm but soft.

Itachi was quick to comply, pulling his dark blue shirt over his head, causing the Yamanaka to bite her bottom lip softly.

The Yamanaka heiress tried not to stare at the toned physique of the Uchiha as she urged herself not to blush. This was her patient. She stepped closer to him, placing her hand over his chest, her hands glowing green with healing chakra as she lowered her hands to explore where his lungs was.

"I'll need you to take deep breaths for me." Itachi did so, taking 5 deep breathes before Ino nodded, sighing in relief, her chakra dying down from her hands.

"Alright, it's curable. Just needs a lot of attention. I'll heal your lungs as much as I can to make it easier for you to breathe and to take away your pain but this is a temporary fix. I will eliminate the cells that makes your illness resistant to the drugs and place you on medication for the next month or so. We will have to do a check-up at least twice week to repeat the process which we will schedule later on." Ino explained as much as she could and Itachi simply nodded.

"I'll get right to it then."

Ino placed her hand right where his lungs were, directing soothing healing chakra, drawing a deep breath from the man as he felt his pain easing slowly. It took 5 minutes of silence as she healed him before someone broke the silence.

It was Itachi. "What made you take up healing?" his voice was deep and soothing to her ears as he looked up at her from where he sat, causing a soft blush to rise to her cheeks as they realized the proximity of their faces. He really was gorgeous, his face had matured from when he was a teen. Ino turned her eyes at her hands to avoid gawking at the handsome man in front of her.

"U-Uh, I took it a little before you left. It was the night I visited the Uchiha compound and you came home with a gash on your arm instead of stopping by the hospital. You told me it was fine, but I knew it hurt by the way you moved. I thought you needed to take better care of yourself or at least have someone take care of you. The very next day, I asked my cousin, Neburi to teach me how to heal. Something that really helped me out climbing to Jounin and ANBU. The same delicate chakra control from my medical training was a booster for my mind techniques." She told the story as she finished up healing his lungs, moving to targeting the cells that resisted the medication.

Itachi was in awe of her explanation, once oblivious to how much he had influenced her decisions. He stayed silent as he watched her finish up, seeing the concentration and determination on her face.

Once she was done, the green chakra flickered off and Itachi held onto her wrist before she could pull away causing her to reluctantly stare into his eyes in question.

"Thank you for taking care of me, Ino. I feel so much better."

Her eyes, a mesmerizing shade between cerulean and sea-foam green, stared into his endlessly deep onyx ones. They felt a flutter in their hearts leaving them both confused at the sensation.

Itachi let her go and she took a step back, cheeks flushed softly. She smiled at him. "Well, we are far from done but it's my pleasure, Itachi."

The nurse handed him his prescription and Ino thanked her before she walked out of the room. She then explained the timeline for his medication, explaining that they were up to 2 weeks. After she was done signing him out, she turned to him. "There, all done for today!"

"Hey Ino, I was thinking we should go for dango like old times. With Sasuke." Itachi stood from the bed as he slipped his shirt back on, causing the blonde medic to look up at him. She was tall, but he was even taller than her, only reaching up to a little above his shoulders. He watched as she furrowed her brow again.

"Uh with Sasuke? I don't think I'm ready to talk to him much less enjoy a day out with him. I need more time." She explained, eyes pleading for understanding.

"Besides, I have a shift at the Torture and Interrogation as head of the Analysis team now. But I would love to take you up on that dango offer on Friday. We can do your check-up then."

Itachi agreed as they both excited the room, seeing Sasuke waiting outside. The younger Uchiha had started to talk before the Yamanaka raised her hand up.

"I'll be going now. See you on Friday, Itachi."

He waved with a soft smile as she walked away, Sasuke holding a frown on his face as she passed him on the way out.

Ino let out the breath she was holding as she walked away, placing her hand on her wrist where Itachi had grabbed her gently, holding it close to her chest as she smiled.

Some things never change. Even at 19, she held the same childish crush she had nine years ago for a certain dark knight who had rescued her all those years ago.